POLICE OFFICER SUSPENDED

A town police officer who has been on the force nearly 20 years was suspended with pay Thursday while the department investigates his handling of traffic tickets.

Traffic Officer Robert Mazzone turned in his gun and badge as a criminal investigation began. An internal affairs investigation also is being conducted, said police Capt. Roy Abbie.

The probes started when a supervisor discovered that a number of motor vehicle tickets had not been submitted as required by department rules, according to a press release. Abbie would not say how many tickets were found.

Police generally were mum about the matter, in part because they did not want to influence the criminal investigation.

Mazzone, 45, said he could not comment.

"As much as I'd like to, I can't talk about it," he said late Thursday afternoon. "This is fresh. It just happened a few hours ago."

The allegations are surprising, said Officer Gary Gibson, the police union president. He described Mazzone as a decorated officer, "one of the good ones."

"The union will be there for him for whatever we can do," Gibson said.

Although he knows little about the allegations, discussions about them may be premature, Gibson said.